The 15 layer russian honey cake, also known as Medovik, is a classic Russian dessert that is sure to impress your friends and family. This decadent cake is made with layers of thin honey cake, a creamy filling, and a caramel glaze. The result is a moist, flavorful cake that is perfect for any special occasion. While the cake may seem intimidating to make, it is actually quite simple to prepare. With just a few basic ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a masterpiece that will be the star of your next party.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE
There are 3 different ways to make this cake...the hard way, the harder way, and the way we're gonna do it--the hardest way. Because it's that worth it. The tiny amount of bitterness we get from the burnt honey really is the secret here, and the slightly tangy whipped cream frosting provides a bit of acidity and lovely light texture; and unlike other frostings, it's not too sweet.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Russian
Time 9h55m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Pour honey into a deep saucepan over medium heat. Boil until a shade darker and caramel-like in aroma, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in cold water.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (such as Silpat®). Place a mixing bowl and a whisk in the refrigerator.
- Place a large metal bowl over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Add butter, sugar, 1/4 cup of the burnt honey, and regular wildflower honey. Let sit until butter melts, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Whisk butter mixture and let sit until very warm to the touch. Whisk in eggs. Keep mixture over low heat until it gets very warm again; whisk in baking soda mixture. Remove from heat. Sift in flour in 2 or 3 additions, stirring well after each, until batter is easily spreadable.
- Transfer about 1/2 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an 8- or 9-inch circle using an offset spatula. Shake and tap the pan to knock out any air bubbles.
- Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove liner from the pan and let cake layer continue cooling until firm enough to remove, 6 to 7 minutes. Invert cake onto a round of parchment paper.
- Repeat until you have a total of 8 cake layers, letting each cool on an individual parchment round. Trim edges using a pizza wheel to ensure they are the same size; save scraps for crumb mixture.
- Spread remaining batter onto the lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces; toss with reserved cake scraps.
- Return to the oven and continue to bake until browned, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a resealable bag and beat into fairly fine crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside.
- Remove the bowl and whisk from the refrigerator. Pour in heavy cream. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add remaining burnt honey and sour cream; continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Place a cake layer on a parchment paper round on top of a pizza pan or serving plate. Spread a cup of frosting evenly on top, almost to the edge. Repeat with cake layers and frosting, pressing the layers in smooth-side down. Place last cake layer smooth-side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Cover with crumbs; clean any excess crumbs around base.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, to overnight. Transfer to a cake stand using 2 spatulas. Cut and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 795 calories, Carbohydrate 84.6 g, Cholesterol 243.6 mg, Fat 48.7 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 9.5 g, SaturatedFat 29.5 g, Sodium 484.7 mg, Sugar 51.9 g
15 LAYER RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE
I recently tried a Russian Honey Cake, which was one of the yummiest cakes I have ever tasted. It was so nice I decided to find the recipe and learn to make it myself. It took me about 6 months searching the net (on websites mostly in Russian, which I definitely don't read or speak) translating from Russian using an online translator, and trying different recipes before I found this recipe, which has produced a result at least as nice as the one I tried. I baked 2 pieces at a time on baking paper on an oven tray. Each batch took just long enough to cook, that I had two more ready to swap when the first ones were done. The cream filling (and coating) is made from sour cream and sugar. The sour cream is simply whipped with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. The original recipe said to add sugar "by intuition"; I think you're supposed to keep adding more until it thickens, but the time I tried that it was too sickly sweet! I have also made the filling/coating using fresh cream - 750ml, soured with 1/2 cup lemon juice and beaten until just starting to thicken (you still use the sugar & honey). This was for a vegetarian who pointed out that the cultured sour cream I used had gelatin in it. A slightly different taste, but a very nice variation. I personally don't like walnuts all that much, so I leave them out whenever I cook this.
Provided by littlepetel
Categories Dessert
Time 1h15m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Beat eggs well with sugar; add baking soda and liquid honey (warm).
- Melt the margarine/butter in a casserole or pot; add the mixture (margarine should not be too hot).
- Put the casserole on a low heat, add the flour while mixing and mix until the mass is without lumps (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.
- Dip the dough in flour, divide, roll each layer very thin (1-2mm), cut circles as round as possible (approx 18cm diameter), and bake at 180°C for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown in colour; repeat with remaining dough and allow to cool before assembling.
- Beat sour cream, sugar and honey until the sugar dissolves-the mixture will still be fairly liquid.
- Coat each layer with a generous layer of cream; assemble the cake, coat the sides with cream and sprinkle top and sides with crumbs and ground walnuts. Allow to set at least 6 hours before eating.
RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE
The key to making this exquisite, gravity-defying cake, which comes from Michelle Polzine of 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco, is patience. This cake takes a lot of time! Set some aside to do it right. There are just two components - airy, lightly spiced cake layers and glossy whipped-cream frosting, both tinged with burned honey - but both require precision. Clear your schedule, and your countertop, to make the time and space to get it right. Then invite a dozen or two of your favorite people over the next day to delight in the impressive results of your hard work. You can buy dulce de leche at most Mexican markets or upscale groceries (look for brands made in Argentina), or make it a day ahead using this recipe.
Provided by Samin Nosrat
Categories cakes, dessert
Time 4h
Yield Makes 1 9-inch cake
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375. Trace circles around a 9-inch pie or cake pan onto 12 baking-sheet-size pieces of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make a water bath: Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water, and set over medium heat.
- Place 3/4 cup of honey in a 2-quart saucepan, and set over high heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium. After about 3 minutes, the honey will begin to foam intensely. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, keep a close eye on the honey. Cook until it begins to smoke, then turn off the heat and carefully add water. Allow the honey to sputter until it stops bubbling. Whisk to combine, and pour into a heatproof measuring cup with a spout, then place in prepared water bath to keep honey liquid.
- Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water, and bring to a simmer. Combine 1/4 cup burned honey, 3/4 cup honey, sugar and butter in a large metal mixing bowl, and place over the pot of water.
- Crack eggs into a small bowl, and set aside. Stir together baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.
- When the butter has melted, whisk the honey mixture to combine. Use your finger to test the temperature of the mixture. When it's warm, add the eggs while whisking. When the mixture returns to the same temperature, add the cinnamon mixture, and continue whisking for another 30 seconds. The batter will begin to foam and emit a curious odor. Remove the bowl from the heat, and allow it to cool until it's warm.
- Place the flour in a fine-mesh sieve, and sift over the batter in three batches, whisking to incorporate the flour completely with each addition. The batter should be completely smooth. The batter will spread more easily when it's warm, so pour half into a small bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot, such as atop the preheating oven.
- Place a piece of parchment tracing-side-down on a baking sheet, and spoon in a heaping 1/3 cup of batter. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter to the edges. It will seem like just barely enough batter; do your best to get the layer even and perfectly circular. Repeat with remaining layers until you're out of pans, and then continue with remaining batter and parchment sheets, laying batter circles out on a flat surface. You'll end up with 11 or 12.
- Bake as many layers at a time as possible, for 6 to 7 minutes, until the cake turns a deep caramel color and springs back at the touch. For the first round, set the timer for 4 minutes to rotate pans if needed to ensure even cooking. Check the cakes again at 6 minutes. Do not overbake!
- When each layer is done, slide the parchment off the pan to prevent overbaking. If reusing baking sheets while they are still hot, reduce cooking time to 5 to 6 minutes.
- When the cake layers are cool enough to handle, examine them. If any spread outside the traced circles as they baked, use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to trim them. Before the cakes cool entirely, pull each one carefully from the parchment, then place back on the parchment on a flat surface, and allow to cool completely.
- When all the layers are baked, reduce the oven temperature to 250, and allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Return the least attractive layer (or 2, if you got 12) to a baking sheet, and place in the oven to toast until deep reddish brown and dry, about 15 minutes. Allow it to cool, then use a food processor to grind into fine crumbs. Cover and set aside.
- Place 1/2 cup burned honey, dulce de leche and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt into a medium bowl. Whisk by hand until combined, then slowly pour in 3/4 cup cream and mix until homogeneous. Chill until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.
- Pour 4 cups heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer, and affix whisk attachment. Whip at medium speed to soft peaks, about 6 minutes, then add honey mixture and whip frosting to medium stiff peaks. If your mixer holds less than 5 quarts, make frosting in 2 batches and then combine in a large bowl, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Assemble the cake on a 10-inch cardboard circle or flat serving plate. Place a cake layer in the center of the cardboard, then spoon a heaping cup of frosting onto the center. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch ring unfrosted around the edge. Place the next layer atop the frosting, center it and continue as above. Don't be afraid to manhandle the cake to align the layers as you continue stacking. If necessary, make up for any doming in the center by spreading more frosting to the outer half of each layer than the inner half. After you place the 10th layer, spread another scant cup of frosting over the top. Use any leftover frosting to smooth out the sides of the cake, but don't fret if the edges of some cake layers poke through the frosting. Sprinkle the top and sides with cake crumbs.
- Chill overnight. Serve chilled. Cake can be made up to two days in advance. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start baking, measure and prepare all of your ingredients. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don't forget anything.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: When a recipe calls for room temperature ingredients, it's important to follow that instruction. Room temperature ingredients mix together more evenly and smoothly, resulting in a better cake.
- Don't Overmix the Batter: Overmixing the batter can make the cake tough. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined.
- Bake the Cake Layers Evenly: To ensure that the cake layers bake evenly, rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
- Let the Cake Layers Cool Completely: Before you assemble the cake, let the cake layers cool completely. This will help prevent the cake from falling apart.
- Use a Sharp Knife to Cut the Cake: When you're ready to assemble the cake, use a sharp knife to cut the cake layers into even layers. This will help the cake look its best.
Conclusion:
The 15-layer Russian honey cake is a delicious and impressive dessert. It's perfect for special occasions or when you want to wow your guests. With a little patience and attention to detail, you can make this cake at home. Just follow the tips above and you'll be sure to succeed.
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